CHESS, ches, _n._ a game of skill for two persons or parties, played with
figures or 'pieces,' which are moved on a chequered board.--_n._
CHESS'-BOARD, the board on which chess is played.--_n.pl._ CHESS'-MEN,
pieces used in chess. [Fr. _échecs_; It. _scacchi_; Ger. _schach_. Orig.
from Pers. _sháh_, a king.]
CHESS, ches, _n._ one of the parallel planks of a pontoon-bridge--generally
in _pl._
CHESSEL, ches'el, _n._ a cheese mould or vat.
CHEST, chest, _n._ a large strong box: the part of the body between the
neck and the abdomen, the thorax.--_adj._ CHEST'ED, having a chest: placed
in a chest.--_n._ CHEST'-NOTE, in singing or speaking, a deep note, the
lowest sound of the voice. [A.S. _cyst_; Scot. _kist_--L. _cista_--Gr.
_kist[=e]_.]
CHESTNUT, CHESNUT, ches'nut, _n._ a nut or fruit enclosed in a prickly
case: the tree that bears it: (_slang_) a stale joke or story.--_adj._ of a
chestnut colour, reddish-brown. [O. Fr. _chastaigne_--L. _castanea_--Gr.
_kastanon_, from _Castana_, in Pontus.]
CHETVERT, chet'vert, _n._ a Russian dry measure, equal to 8 _chevteriks_.
[Illustration]
CHEVAL-DE-FRISE, she-val'-de-fr[=e]z, _n._ a piece of timber armed with
spikes, used to defend a passage or to stop cavalry:--_pl._
CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE (she-v[=o]'-).--_n._ CHEVAL'-GLASS, a large glass or
mirror supported on a frame. [Fr.,--_cheval_, horse; _Frise_, Friesland.]
CHEVALIER, shev-a-l[=e]r', _n._ a cavalier: a knight: a gallant.
[Fr.,--_cheval_--L. _caballus_, a horse.]
CHEVELURE, shev'e-l[=u]r, _n._ a head of hair: a periwig: the nebulous part
of a comet. [Fr.,--L. _capillatura_--_capillus_, hair.]
CHEVEN, chev'en, _n._ the chub.--Also CHEV'IN.
CHEVEREL, chev'[.e]r-el, _n._ a kid: soft, flexible leather made of
kid-skin.--_adj._ like kid leather, pliable. [Fr. _chevreau_, a
kid--_chèvre_; L. _capra_, a goat.]
CHEVESAILE, chev'e-s[=a]l, _n._ an ornamental collar of a coat. [O. Fr.
_chevesaile_--_chevece_, the neck.]
CHEVIOT, ch[=e]'vi-ot, or chev'i-ot, _n._ a hardy breed of short-wooled
sheep reared on the _Cheviot_ Hills: a cloth made from their wool.
CHEVISANCE, shev'i-zäns, _n._ (_Spens._) achievement, performance.
[Fr.,--_chevir_, to accomplish; _chef_, the head, the end.]
[Illustration]
CHEVRON, shev'ron, _n._ a rafter: (_her._) the representation of two
rafters of a house meeting at the top: the V-shaped band of worsted braid
or gold lace worn on the sleeve of a non-commissioned officer's
coat.--_adjs._ CHEVRONE', CHEV'RONED. [Fr. _chevron_ (Sp. _cabrio_), a
rafter--L. _capreolus_, dim. of _caper_, a goat.]
CHEVY, chev'i, CHIVY, chiv'i, _n._ a cry, shout: a hunt.--_v.t._ to chase.
[Perh. from 'Chevy Chase,' a well-known ballad relating a Border battle.]
CHEW, ch[=oo], _v.t._ to cut and bruise with the teeth: to masticate:
(_fig._) to meditate, reflect.--_n._ action of chewing: a quid of
tobacco.--_ns._ CHEW'ET, a kind of pie or pudding made of various
ingredients mixed together; CHEW'ING-GUM, a preparation made from a gum
called _chicle_, produced by a Mexican tree allied to the india-rubber
tree, sweetened and flavoured.--CHEW THE CUD, to masticate a second time
food that has already been swallowed and passed into the first stomach: to
ruminate in thought. [A.S. _ceówan_; Ger. _kauen_; cf. JAW.]
CHEWET, ch[=oo]'et, _n._ a chough; (_Shak._) a chatterer. [Fr. _chouette_,
an owl.]
CHIAN, k[=i]'an, _adj._ pertaining to _Chios_ in the Ægean Sea.
CHIANTI, k[=e]-an'ti, _n._ a red wine of Tuscany.
CHIAROSCURO, kyär'o-sk[=u]-ro, _n._ distribution or blending of light and
shade, the art of representing light in shadow and shadow in light.
CHIASM, k[=i]'azm, _n._ (_anat._) a decussation or intersection, esp. that
of the optic nerves--also CHIAS'MA.--_n._ CHIAS'MUS (_rhet._), contrast by
parallelism in reverse order, as 'Do not live to eat, but eat to
live.'--_adj._ CHIAS'TIC. [Gr. _chiasma_, two lines crossed as in the
letter X.]
CHIAUS, chows, _n._ Same as CHOUSE.
CHIBOUK, CHIBOUQUE, chi-book', _n._ a long straight-stemmed Turkish pipe
for smoking. [Turk.]
CHIC, sh[=e]k, _n._ style, fashion: adroitness.--_adj._ stylish, 'up to the
mark.' [Fr.]
CHICA, ch[=e]'ka, _n._ an orange-red dye-stuff, obtained by boiling the
leaves of the Bignonia, a climber of the banks of the Cassiquiare and the
Orinoco. [Native name.]
CHICANE, shi-k[=a]n', _v.i._ to use shifts and tricks.--_v.t._ to
deceive.--_n._ a trick or artifice.--_ns._ CHIC[=A]'NER, one who chicanes:
a quibbler; CHIC[=A]'NERY, trickery or artifice, esp. in legal proceedings:
quibbling; CHIC[=A]'NING, quibbling. [Fr. _chicane_, sharp practice at law,
most prob. from Late Gr. _tzykanion_, a game at mall, _tzykaniz-ein_, to
play at mall--Pers. _tchaug[=a]n_, a crooked mallet.]
CHICCORY. See CHICORY.
CHICH, chich, _n._ a dwarf pea. Same as CHICK-PEA.
CHICHA, ch[=e]ch'a, _n._ a South American liquor fermented from maize.
[Haytian.]
CHICK, chik, _n._ the young of fowls, esp. of the hen: a child, as a term
of endearment.--_ns._ CHICK'A-BID'DY, CHICK'-A-DID'DLE, terms of endearment
addressed to children; CHICK'EN, the young of birds, esp. of the hen: its
flesh: a child: a faint-hearted person; CHICK'EN-HAZ'ARD, a game at dice
(see HAZARD); CHICK'EN-HEART, a cowardly person.--_adj._
CHICK'EN-HEART'ED.--_ns._ CHICK'EN-POX, a contagious febrile disease,
chiefly of children, and bearing some resemblance to a very mild form of
small-pox; CHICK'LING, a little chicken; CHICK'WEED, a species of
stitchwort, and one of the most common weeds of gardens and cultivated
fields--for making poultices, and for feeding cage-birds, which are very
fond of its leaves and seeds.--MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKEN, a sailor's name for
the Stormy Petrel; NO CHICKEN, one no longer young. [A.S. _cicen_; cf. Dut.
_kieken_, Ger. _küchlein_.]
CHICK-PEA, chik'-p[=e], _n._ a dwarf species of pea cultivated for food in
the south of Europe and other places. [Fr. _chiche_--L. _cicer_, and PEA.]
CHICORY, CHICCORY, chik'o-ri, _n._ a plant whose long carrot-like root is
ground to adulterate coffee.--Also SUC'CORY. [Fr. _chicorée_--L.
_cichorium_, succory--Gr. _kich[=o]rion_.]
CHIDE, ch[=i]d, _v.t._ to scold, rebuke, reprove by words: to be noisy
about, as the sea.--_v.i._ to make a snarling, murmuring sound, as a dog or
trumpet:--_pr.p._ chid'ing; _pa.t._ chid, (_obs._) ch[=o]de; _pa.p._ chid,
chidd'en.--_ns._ CHID'ER (_Shak._), a quarrelsome person; CHID'ING,
scolding. [A.S. _cídan_.]
CHIEF, ch[=e]f, _adj._ head: principal, highest, first: (_Scot._)
intimate.--_adv._ chiefly.--_n._ a head or principal person: a leader: the
principal part or top of anything: (_her._) an ordinary, consisting of the
upper part of the field cut off by a horizontal line, generally made to
occupy one-third of the area of the shield.--_ns._ CHIEF'-BAR'ON, the
President of the Court of Exchequer; CHIEF'DOM, CHIEF'SHIP, state of being
chief: sovereignty; CHIEF'ERY, an Irish chieftaincy: the dues paid to a
chief; CHIEF'ESS, a female chief; CHIEF'-JUS'TICE (see JUSTICE).--_adj._
CHIEF'LESS, without a chief or leader.--_adv._ CHIEF'LY, in the first
place: principally: for the most part.--_ns._ CHIEF'RY, a rent paid to the
supreme lord: a chief's lands; CHIEF'TAIN, the head of a clan: a leader or
commander:--_fem._ CHIEF'TAINESS; CHIEF'TAINCY, CHIEF'TAINSHIP;
CHIEF'TAINRY.--IN CHIEF (_her._) means that the charge is borne in the
upper part of the shield: applied to holding land directly from the
sovereign: at the head, as commander-_in-chief_. [Fr. _chef_--L. _caput_,
the head.]
CHIELD, ch[=e]ld, _n._ (_Scot._) a lad, a young man.--Also CHIEL. [A form
of CHILD.]
CHIFF-CHAFF, chif'-chaf, _n._ a small species of Warbler, so called from
the resemblance of its notes to the syllables which form its name.
CHIFFON, shif'ong, _n._ any merely ornamental part of a woman's
dress.--_n._ CHIFFONIER', an ornamental cupboard: (_Fr._) a rag-picker.
[Fr.--_chiffe_, rag.]
CHIFFRE, sh[=e]'fr, _n._ (_mus._) a figure used to denote the harmony.
[Fr.]
CHIG, chig, _v.t._ (_prov._) to chew.--_n._ a chew, quid.
CHIGNON, sh[=e]'nyong, _n._ a general term for the long back-hair of women,
when gathered up and folded into a roll on the back of the head and neck.
[Fr., meaning first the nape of the neck, the joints of which are like the
links of a chain--_chaînon_, the link of a chain--_chaîne_, a chain.]
CHIGOE, chig'[=o], CHIGRE, CHIGGER, chig'[.e]r, _n._ a species of flea of
the West Indies, the female of which buries itself beneath the toe-nails,
and produces troublesome sores. [Fr. _chique_.]
CHIKARA, chi-kä'rä', _n._ a four-horned goat-like antelope of Bengal.
CHIKARA, chik'a'rä, _n._ a Hindu musical instrument of the violin class.
CHILBLAIN, chil'bl[=a]n, _n._ a localised inflammation of the skin which
occurs in cold weather on hands and feet, more rarely on ears and nose.
[CHILL and BLAIN.]
CHILD, ch[=i]ld, _n._ an infant or very young person: (_Shak._) a female
infant: one intimately related to one older: expressing origin or relation,
e.g. child of the East, child of shame, child of God, &c.: a disciple: a
youth of gentle birth, esp. in ballads, &c.--sometimes CHILDE and CHYLDE:
(_pl._) offspring: descendants: inhabitants:--_pl._ CHIL'DREN.--_ns._
CHILD'-BEAR'ING, the act of bringing forth children; CHILD'BED, the state
of a woman brought to bed with child; CHILD'BIRTH, the giving birth to a
child: parturition; CHILD'-CROW'ING, a nervous affection with spasm of the
muscles closing the glottis.--_adj._ CHILD'ED (_Shak._), possessed of a
child.--_n._ CHILD'HOOD, state of being a child: the time of one's being a
child.--_adjs._ CHILD'ING (_Shak._), fruitful, teeming; CHILD'ISH, of or
like a child: silly: trifling.--_adv._ CHILD'ISHLY.--_ns._ CHILD'ISHNESS,
CHILD'NESS, what is natural to a child: puerility.--_adjs._ CHILD'LESS,
without children; CHILD'-LIKE, like a child: becoming a child: docile:
innocent.--_n._ CHILD'-WIFE, a very young wife.--CHILD'S PLAY, something
very easy to do: something slight.--FROM or OF A CHILD, since the days of
childhood.--SECOND CHILDHOOD, the childishness of old age.--WITH CHILD,
pregnant, e.g. GET WITH CHILD, BE or GO WITH CHILD. [A.S. _cild_, pl.
_cild_, later _cildru_, _-ra_. The Ger. equivalent word is _kind_.]
CHILDERMAS-DAY, chil'd[.e]r-mas-d[=a], _n._ an anniversary in the Church of
England, called also _Innocents' Day_, held 28th December, to commemorate
the slaying of the children by Herod. [CHILD, MASS, and DAY.]
CHILIAD, kil'i-ad, _n._ the number 1000: 1000 of anything.--_ns._
CHIL'IAGON, a plane figure having 1000 angles; CHIL'IAH[=E]DRON, a solid
figure having 1000 sides; CHIL'IARCH, a leader or commander of a thousand
men; CHIL'IARCHY, the position of chiliarch; CHIL'IASM, the doctrine that
Christ will reign bodily upon the earth for 1000 years; CHIL'IAST, one who
holds this opinion. [Gr.,--_chilioi_, 1000.]
CHILL, chil, _n._ coldness: a cold that causes shivering: anything that
damps or disheartens.--_adj._ shivering with cold: slightly cold: opposite
of _cordial_.--_v.i._ to grow cold.--_v.t._ to make chill or cold: to blast
with cold: to discourage.--_adj._ CHILLED, made cold: hardened by chilling,
as iron.--_n._ CHILL'INESS.--_adj._ CHILL'ING, cooling, cold.--_n._
CHILL'NESS.--_adj._ CHILLY, that chills: somewhat chill.--TAKE THE CHILL
OFF, to give a slight heat: to make lukewarm. [A.S. _cele_, _ciele_, cold.
See COLD, COOL.]
CHILLI, chil'li, _n._ the seed pod or fruit of the capsicum, extremely
pungent and stimulant, and employed in sauces, mixed pickles, &c.; when
dried and ground, forms the spice called Cayenne pepper. [The Mexican
name.]
CHILLUM, chil'um, _n._ the part of a hookah containing the tobacco and
charcoal balls: a hookah itself: the act of smoking it. [Hind. _chilam_.]
CHILTERN HUNDREDS. See HUNDREDS.
CHIME, ch[=i]m, _n._ the harmonious sound of bells or other musical
instruments: agreement of sound or of relation: harmony: (_pl._) a set of
bells.--_v.i._ to sound in harmony: to jingle: to accord or agree: to
rhyme.--_v.t._ to strike, or cause to sound in harmony: to say words over
mechanically.--CHIME IN, to join in, in agreement; CHIME IN WITH, to agree,
or fall in with. [M. E. _chimbe_, prob. O. Fr. _cymbale_--L. _cymbalum_, a
cymbal.]
CHIME, CHIMB, ch[=i]m, _n._ the rim formed by the ends of the staves of a
cask: (_naut._) a hollowed or bevelled channel in the waterway of a ship's
deck. [Cog. with Dut. _kim_, Ger. _kimme_, edge.]
CHIMER, shim'er, CHIMERE, shi-m[=e]r, _n._ the upper robe worn by a bishop,
to which lawn sleeves are attached. [O. Fr. _chamarre_; Sp. _zamarra_,
_chamarra_, sheepskin.]
CHIMERA, CHIMÆRA, ki-m[=e]'ra, _n._ a fabulous, fire-spouting monster, with
a lion's head, a serpent's tail, and a goat's body: any idle or wild fancy:
a picture of an animal having its parts made up of various animals: a genus
of cartilaginous fishes, often ranked along with the sharks and
rays.--_adjs._ CHIMER'IC, -AL, of the nature of a chimera: wild:
fanciful.--_adv._ CHIMER'ICALLY. [L.,--Gr. _chimaira_, a she-goat.]
CHIMNEY, chim'ni, _n._ a passage for the escape of smoke or heated air from
a furnace: in houses, that part of the passage which is built above the
roof: anything of a like shape.--_ns._ CHIM'NEY-CAN, or -POT, a cylindrical
pipe of earthenware or other material placed at the top of a chimney to
increase the draught; CHIM'NEY-COR'NER, in old chimneys, the space between
the fire and the wall forming the sides of the fireplace: fireside,
commonly spoken of as the place for the aged and infirm; CHIM'NEY-PIECE, a
shelf over the fireplace; CHIM'NEY-SHAFT, the stalk of a chimney which
rises above the building; CHIM'NEY-STACK, a group of chimneys carried up
together; CHIM'NEY-STALK, a very tall chimney; CHIM'NEY-SWALL'OW, the
_Hirundo rustica_, a very common swallow: the chimney-swift;
CHIM'NEY-SWEEP, CHIM'NEY-SWEEP'ER, one who sweeps or cleans chimneys;
CHIM'NEY-TOP, the top of a chimney.--CHIMNEY-POT HAT, a familiar name for
the ordinary cylindrical hat of gentlemen. [Fr. _cheminée_--L.
_cam[=i]nus_; Gr. _kaminos_, a furnace.]
CHIMPANZEE, chim-pan'z[=e], _n._ an African ape, the highest of the
anthropoid or more man-like apes, belonging to the same genus as the
gorilla. [West African.]
CHIN, chin, _n._ the jutting part of the face below the mouth.--UP TO THE
CHIN, deeply immersed. [A.S. _cin_; Ger. _kinn_, Gr. _genys_.]
CHINA, ch[=i]n'a, _n._ fine kind of earthenware, originally made in
_China_: porcelain.--_ns._ CHIN'A-BARK, a common name of cinchona bark
(derived not from the empire of China, but from. _Kina_ or _Quina_, the
Peruvian name of cinchona--see QUININE); CHIN'A-CLAY, a fine white clay
used in making porcelain; CHIN'A-GRASS (_Boehmeria nivea_), a small
shrubby-like plant, allied to the nettle, native to China; the fibre of
this plant used for making ropes and cordage, and also in China for the
manufacture of grass-cloth; CHIN'A-INK (see INK); CHIN'AMAN, a native of
China; CHIN'A-ROOT, the root-stock of a Chinese shrubby plant, formerly
used in Europe medicinally, but still in the East as a remedy in rheumatic
or syphilitic cases; CHIN'A-ROSE, a name applied to several varieties of
garden roses; CHIN'A-SHOP, a shop in which china, crockery, &c. are sold;
CHIN'A-WARE, porcelain-ware; CHINEE', a Chinaman.--_adj._ CHINESE', of or
belonging to China.--CHINA ASTER (see ASTER).